King
by Redaura
Summary: Sarah is living her normal life, now away at university. She has 'friends' and a boyfriend, David and of course The Goblin King is not happy. He makes her run his Labyrinth, for David. But Jareth hasn't told Sarah all. And still the shadow watches........
1. Chapter 1.

The clubs electric beat pulsed in down Sarah's body, tingling her veins, making her feel alive. She didn't want to sit in the cooped, gloomy booth at the back and feign interest as her 'friends' dissected potential boyfriends and plotted social downfalls. She wanted to be free to move on the flowing, lit dance floor.  
  
But she sat in there anyway, occasionally making an appropriately spiteful remark or a murmur of sympathy, as they needed it. She needed to belong somewhere, even if it was a fake smokescreen.  
  
She stretched her bare legs under the table, avoiding the fellow stilettos that mixed with practised ease. She tugged on her ridiculously short skirt and checked that her jewel red top was still hanging in there, for decencies sake.  
  
"So, what you gonna do?" she asked, because it was expected.  
  
Her blonde acquaintance sneered. "I'm gonna make him pay!" Haley looked like an angel with floating golden hair, but her ice blue eyes gave her away. Satan in disguise as any boy who had suffered at her feet swore.  
  
"Go girl! Need a hand?" the group rallied around Haley like bowling pins of concrete glaring a Ping-Pong ball down. The poor shmuck had had it. At the least his street creed was gone. Just tatters of it drifting on the wind for the others, the survivors to yank and taunt him with.  
  
Sarah let her mind be free as she let it drift with the dry ice that was swirling with the cigarette smoke. The moving air steered the smog as the fans lazily whirled around, before it met it's fate and was sucked viciously out by the air conditioning to be spilled out the back of the club. With a sigh she reeled her mind in, allowing it to come crashing down with severe abruptness form its higher plains as they finished scheming and plotting.  
  
"Wanna dance?" she demanded, before they got started again.  
  
They all laughed so with grace and long, showy legs they vaulted to the dance floor. Practice again. Sarah vigorously flung herself into the rhythm, nothing the way the groups' hair contrasted. Her brunette locks, clashing with Haley's ice blondness, but merging almost fathomlessly with Becky's deep black spikes that set Emmas' deep blood hair off, against Cordettes dyed white and blue streaks. The pounding, liberating lights morphed the exaggerated movements of the strands into twinkling purples and blues. Deep and dark and best of all, secret.  
  
She closed her eyes, and let the beat seem distant, like her group where. The lights played bright flashes amongst her patterned eyelids. When she let them drift open again, she was alone. She wasn't bothered. They'd have drifted off with various specimens of masculinity. She didn't want to be around when things got heavy.  
  
When she could bare it no longer, she just left. Shoved her way out of the massed dancers to the cool air of outside. She could taste the scent of winter that was still threatening, but not fully come. She could feel the taint of rain in the polluted air, almost heed the grease on the paved streets she swayed down, her weak heels shifting the detritus that littered them, The icy wind gusted futilely at the damp mounds of rubbish, not even stirring the gunked down mess.  
  
Manhattan. Such a wonderful place to study. Sarah mussed. Wonderful people, wonderful student food, wonderful nightlife. "Simply wonderful!" she yelled at the seemingly black sky, with streetlights spotting it. With a sigh, she rubbed her arms and started making her way to her shared flat; trying to clear her booze fuddled head.  
  
***  
  
She carefully inserted the key into the lock of the outer door that lead to the forum, feeling like a thief. Or a liar, which she was. Like the rest of the student tenants she had faithfully promised not to come in at odd hours, or go out at early hours, and disturb the peaceful, honest working tenants.  
  
She swore in her mind, not daring to vocalise as the key wouldn't turn in the stiff lock. She ignored some people stalking pas her, having a low, heated argument, and prayed for the lock to work. It was freezing outside, and in her traditional clubbing gear Sarah wouldn't have been surprised to have goose pimples on her goose pimples.  
  
From the shadow, the blackest shadow watched. It could see why... it sent a minion out to gather.  
  
Sarah became aware of the person standing directly behind her. She yelped in alarm as she automatically spun so he wasn't in her blind spot.  
  
He held his arms up in gesture of surrender. "Sorry lady. Didn't mean to startle you." You smiled, nicely, "do you need a hand?"  
  
"Err, no thanks." Sarah said warily, you just couldn't tell with people, even if they had great pecks and seemingly good manners. All qualities seemingly lost in the current population. "It's just being difficult."  
  
"A common problem. I just moved here." Sarah perked up. Mrs Glibly would never lease or let to someone distrespectable. "And I've only been here a few days!" Sarah laughed with him, but leaned back as he closed in on the door to examine it. He still brushed up against her. "Oh here, have this, you're freezing!" Sarah knew she should recline, but she was freezing, and it didn't seem like she was going to get in any time soon.  
  
Finally, David, got the door open, and trying to suppress giggles like little naughty kids they causously took the stairs to their apartments. For Sarah, David made the alcohol over indulgence worth while. She flopped into bed insatiably happy for once in a very long while. For once since she had last seen her real friends.  
  
***  
  
"Oh! Do you have to go?" she cried, knowing the answer already.  
  
"Yes my lady, we must, for Jareth would surely miss us other wise."  
  
"But you'll come again?" she asked anxiously.  
  
"If my lady wishes it."  
  
"Er cause we'll visit ye!"  
  
"Sawah...Sawah friend!"  
  
She let them follow the other labyrinth inhabitants into the mirror, and collapsed onto her bed with happy fatigue. Her happiness hadn't lasted long. The bloody Mirror Master himself had seen to that.  
  
The only way she could see her friends where if she where to wish herself away, to be at his mercy. No way in the seven seas was Sarah stupid enough to say the words again. She'd lived her life since then similar to what it had been before. Alone with her dog, fighting her evil stepmother, looking after Toby and being ignored by her family.  
  
What a life.  
  
At least it was life. At least she had that on her side.  
  
***  
  
In the dark Sarah smiled bitterly. What a way to fall with nothing and no one to catch you.  
  
***  
  
On Saturday morning Sarah crawled out of bed to nurse her head and a cup of thick, black as hell coffee. Wincing she forced it down, showered and crawled out of her door to the corridor to nick her neighbours newspaper. Why buy your own when you can share? Sarah thought rhetorically as she squinted at the small print.  
  
A bank had been robbed, various people had been murdered, India and Pakistan where about to go to war and here was delightful old England selling arms to both sides stirring the morality that England was sliding off. Oh, and a senator had done something illegal, again. Police where investigating a serial rapist and someone had escaped from prison. All in a day.  
  
Sarah winced as Mrs Gale knocked on her door to retrieve her paper. She handed the item over and had to travel to the floor below to get another. The other tenants used to having to guard their papers. This was a short sheet one, with all the gossip. It was even less interesting than serious stuff. Giving up on it Sarah clambered back into bed, setting her alarm in time for her next lecture.  
  
***  
  
She scuttled out of the block of apartments to catch the campus bus. As she went David intercepted her. At any other time she would have been happy to see him. At this moment she looked how she felt. Like shit.  
  
At least the others in her group wouldn't see her like this. They didn't have the skill to manipulate their brains in English Literature. But David was here. David was a potential relationship that she didn't have many of.  
  
She returned his greeting with what she knew was a slightly sickly smile. "Are you okay?" he asked, sounding and looking concerned. Sarah felt touched, not many people cared, or bothered to ask.  
  
"Hangover." She explained briefly, "thanks for 'rescuing' me last night."  
  
"that's okay. It's what every man dreams of, rescuing a fair damsel in need of a lock picker." She laughed gently. "Um," he said awkwardly, " do you have my paper?"  
  
"Number 46?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Probably then. I forgot about it." She admitted sheepishly, "I normally return them, but with my head and all..." she trailed off, hoping he's buy it. He did.  
  
"Then in penance you'll have to let me take you on a date." He smile, only nervously.  
  
"Sure! It's the least I could do."  
  
"See you then."  
  
"See you."  
  
Sarah floated off to University, on a cloud of feeling, hangover forgotten.  
  
***  
  
In the shadows it nodded with satisfaction, its minion was doing well.  
  
****  
  
Jareth threw his crystal ball away in disgust. Sure, she'd had boyfriends before but David, he seriously worried Jareth. David was a threat to his dominance, his control over Sarah, when she finally saw it.  
  
David had to go.  
  
***  
  
So, what do you think? Should I continue? Or is it to boring? Oh, and any comments (like a better title etc) or thoughts welcome. 


	2. Chapter 2.

Jareth smirked, and flung his crystal up in the air with careless precision, for it to be suspended in limbo on his laugh. He had the perfect plan that would show Sarah how things where outside of the story in the real world of real life.  
  
Belief is a wonderful thing.  
  
***  
  
Sarah hugged herself as she stepped inside of her room.  
  
It had been magical. He, David had taken her to an expensive and romantic restaurant. Soft, classical music had coloured the background, spicing the background with fairy wings while delicious foods where placed in front of her as she and David talked.  
  
Slipping out of her moderate black heels she padded to her chipped bathroom mirror to unclasp her long hair. Instead she gazed into her dreamy, reflected eyes and thought...  
  
David. His roguish brown hair and warm eyes. His supple just right body and his angular yet softly shaped face that had tilted towards her, listening intently and attentively to each word she said, allowing each sentence to process before coming up with an amazing reply.  
  
They'd talked of every topic under the sun, and his fine, full lips had brought every one of them to life with jewel like clarity. His gentle flirting had been heaven to Sarah's normally deaf senses and his compliments had made her blush and giggle with pleasure.  
  
And his good night kiss. Oh, his sweet kiss as he left her at her door. Absolute and complete perfection with just the right amount of passion that pushed the gentleness and tenderness to the fore. It made her soul ache for more.  
  
She carefully avoided the other thought of the only other possible comparison. It might bring him, along with the adage, be careful for what you wish for because you might just get it.  
  
With practised ease she was thinking of David within the space of heartbeat, dreaming of how his hands would make her body feel. Dreaming of how he'd love her. She let her dress drop to the floor and crawled into her bed so as she dreamed she would feel warm, safe, comfortable and supported.  
  
Love had to come from else where.  
  
***  
  
Jareth nodded in satisfaction. He had the leeway to do as he willed. He sent his goblins out. Sometimes the old ways and traditions where just as good, if not better than the new.  
  
***  
  
David smiled to the shadows. Sarah was amazing. Feisty, spirited, bright, witty, funny intelligent and above all, she like him. It was all to perfect to be convenient. It was a pity really that she...  
  
He sat up in alarm, spilling his cocoon of sheets and blankets to as he heard voices. Voices that whispered, giggling like suppressed school kids full of cruel pranks and dangerous play with mirth and mocking. Black shadows scuttled within the expected contours of his room.  
  
"What the..." David broke off, from what would have been pointless, meaningless human curses and stared at the enemy. The one they where to fight against till death took them all. The one that wanted to take and control all since his downfall. The one that had ruled all.  
  
He winced as the laughter scrapped his insides, his most private thoughts and dreams like destroying shards of glass, or overlong, stained and cracked finger nails that flicked off into the void as the gnarled hand scrapped them down the blackboard of nightmares.  
  
The blond haystack of hair, highlighted by the lightening in a clear, starry night sky leaned to one side. "So you're one of /them/." David swallowed past the block in his throat.  
  
"I..." he gave up on denial, feeling the dirty, lowly mortal he was. "How are you here? You should only come when fuelled by summons that have belief!"  
  
Mocking invading laughter. It still shredded his head. "But I /do/ have belief. Sarah believes... /My/ Sarah."  
  
David felt the fear douse him like a shot of ice. "You...you leave her alone!" he yelled, panicked.  
  
"Tsk tsk" Jareth tutted, in his exaggerated, derisive English accent. He shook his head slowly from side to side. "You should know that the world is /mine/. It is after all nothing but a tainted, distorted mirror image of the real world." The menace and threat in his tone made David take a physical step back.  
  
A mistake.  
  
Jareth pressed his advantage till David tripped and sprawled on the floor, belly up. The soft, cruel voice dropped down on him like a Blitz. "It was very clever of you rebels to try and weaken me, by placing me in a fairy tale, attempting to force belief on idols of Gods that now shadow the fringes. But in your cleverness you should have known that it couldn't have lasted for long." Jareth leaned closer, and David could only see the blazing players orbs nearing his own face, until all he could hear was the last statement. "I /am/ Master of all."  
  
***  
  
Sarah fidgeted through her lectures. Just five hours to go until she could meet with David. She smiled a dreamy smile, and her eyes went vacant in inner peace as she drifted in dreamland. No one in her crowd was here to question her. All they knew was she had a serious boyfriend. They had been haunting her phone trying to pry details but Sarah had been oblivious to their jealous efforts.  
  
Sarah noted that people where leaving, heading fast for the exit. /Oh lucky people,/ she thought enviously, /that only have one lecture a month./ What had possessed her to take this course? She flicked her hair over her white top in a physical dismissal and hurried out to the canteen.  
  
***  
  
David was late. Sarah was worried that something had happened to him and that he had stood her up. She decided to call him. She impatiently punched his mobile number into hers and waited. She got his voice mail. It was kind of sweet, but not the point at this moment... She tried his home number. Still no answer. Perhaps she should find a friend of his.  
  
Twenty minutes later Sarah had run out of David related people to call and was very worried. With a burning sense of haste that spread form the pit of her stomach she knew that something wasn't right. She ran as best she could in heels to catch the bus to check his apartment. She prayed he was there, but her inner-self told her he wouldn't be.  
  
***  
  
Jareth smirked; it was all going to plan. But to be careful nothing would be taken forgranted. Not like last time.  
  
***  
  
Sarah felt like crying. David wasn't anywhere! She entered her apartment dejected and confused. Where could he be? Didn't he want to see her? Was he laughing at her like the rest? Was he ill or dead or worse?  
  
She pushed the door shut and limply flopped on her bed, only to jump up with a shriek, as she lay on something soft. She leapt up and gasped as she viewed her best-suppressed dream. Her worst nightmare.  
  
"Jareth?" she questioned shakily. "What?"  
  
He raised his eyebrows mockingly at her; "don't you want to see David again?"  
  
***  
  
The shadow perked its imaginary ears. "David." One of them, one of the freedom fighters. The one who had been sent to take what the Goblin King held dear. In this game sacrifices had to be made, but their memory would be avenged if anything happened to him.  
  
***  
  
"Don't you dare!" she screamed at him.  
  
"Now come Sarah. Is that a dare?"  
  
She looked at him hesitantly, her brown eyes wide in fear and apprehension. "No." she said, in almost a whisper. "What have you done to him?" she almost pleaded.  
  
"Nothing that he didn't deserve." Jareth smiled with satisfaction. She was getting angry again.  
  
"How are you to know what /people/ deserve or not!" she hissed at him, strong emotion sparking from her eyes and hair as it swayed in the breeze, like a flag of revenge, a young soldier going into battle for the first time, for all that she held dear.  
  
"Because," he growled tauntingly, "I am King of all."  
  
The sheer arrogance of the man! Sarah couldn't believe it! But he'd said something similar to he before, "I /am/ the Mirror Master." She growled in sheer frustration. What was she to do?  
  
Jareth cocked his head and gave her his most blatant sexy smile. "You have thirteen hours to run the labyrinth, because I'm so generous." He smirked at that.  
  
/Well/, Sarah thought, /if he wants to repeat the past, so be it/. "That's not fair," she stated calmly, "I didn't wish it."  
  
Jareth ignored her. "If you don't', you'll never see him again." He faded, with the clock. Sarah swore in defeat. She had no shoes and was in a short, slinky dress.  
  
"Just fucking great." She sighed, /you know the drill girl, get you're feet moving/! She brightened, she might see Hoggle! And Ludo and Didymus with Ambrosias! She hobbled to the outer wall of the Labyrinth.  
  
***  
  
So, is this still okay? Do you want to know what happens next? And do I make it j/s or s/other or no romance at all... Review and vote! 


	3. Chapter 3.

Can you believe I forgot a disclaimer? So here it is, the depressing disclaimer: I no own the Labyrinth, or the Terry Prattchet and David Eddings plot stealing I've done. *Looks innocent.*  
  
***  
  
David looked about in fear. He was in a damp, black hole. He cautiously felt about the hole, and felt the concave walls close ominously around him. He was trapped somewhere, /in the Labyrinth/. What had Jareth done to Sarah? What was he going to do? David sucked in a breath of stale air.  
  
/Oh Shadows, don't' let me suffocate. Don't let him hurt Sarah./  
  
***  
  
Jareth had to say that it was all going splendidly. The one that the accident in reality had caused to exist was ignorant to the true meaning of his actions, meaning he got away with it.  
  
If it knew the true significance of his manoeuvring, well, the game would be up. But Jareth had such confidence in Sarah. She was a pro at this after all.  
  
***  
  
The walls of the Labyrinth weren't as she remembered them. They where smooth, polished black stones that fitted together seamlessly. The red sand was barren, giving Sarah the illusion of solitude. Gradually she could see a black beetle here, a fly here, and there where the fairies.  
  
Different fairies. Very different. In fact they where like modernism sculptures of futuristic fairies, or aliens, in steel and sharp edges. No one could mistake them for what they where. Dangerous. She skirted them and asked the air, "how do I get into the Labyrinth?"  
  
In answer the panel slid up, letting smoke curl out, with impending chill. At least inside the floor was smooth to walk on, even if her bare feet seemed to be going blue in the harsh fluorescent lighting of the corridor. It looked like a hospital ward, only sterile and desolate, her padding footsteps amplifying into gunshots.  
  
She shuddered and hugged herself. /Oh David/, she thought, /I'm so sorry. I'll save you/.  
  
With a sigh she began trying to walk through walls. "Nothing is what it seems..." she murmured to herself.  
  
***  
  
Haley, with practised ease applied her make up. She glanced approvingly in the mirror, shook her ice blond hair to fluff it and stalked out of the door, slamming it shut behind her. She was having a problem and Sarah was going to /pay/ for not helping her! The little scheming bitch.  
  
With a snort Haley stormed to her car. Suddenly she couldn't breathe. She struggled against it and it's clammy, death bringing grip.  
  
This is the penalty for failure, it said. Haley's' eyes widened in fear and recognition. You failed to keep her beliefs dead, so you die. The scream froze in Haley's throat, as her life was sucked out.  
  
Sure, if any of them died, they'd be avenged, but they could only afford to keep the fittest, strongest ones. Maybe a rumour of how the Goblin King had raped and killed Haley would go down well.  
  
If the shadow could have laughed, it would have. If it could have killed that Jareth straight out right it would have. But in consideration, this way would be so much more fun.  
  
***  
  
Sarah banged her fist on the wall in frustration. She had double-checked every damned wall had there wasn't' a thing! Not even an optical illusion! She looked down distantly at her throbbing hand then back at the wall.  
  
There was a door, well more of a sliding, futuristic garage door that was trying to pull the space ship thing off. /Still the same tacky Labyrinth, despite its new look/, Sarah thought. She didn't question the doors appearance but she dived through before it changed its' mind.  
  
Inside it was different again. A mirror maze. A saying of the past came back to haunt her. /I am the Mirror Master/. As she jogged painfully through the latest variation she ran towards and away from Sarah's' that scattered around her, acting separately to how reflections where supposed to.  
  
She chose left since it was 'widdershins'. An old fairy term for luck. She had to so do this, she /had/ to.  
  
She cursed as she ran into a mirror. The tears flowing as her nose spilled blood and snot in a disgusting river down her face and neck. She stared dumbly at her reflection, as in her mirror image her eyes started to melt, and run in a sticky trickle, like candle wax or treacle.  
  
All of her self the images where, but duller, and twisted, like the Masquerade Ball that Jareth threw her.  
  
She turned away from the dead end to nearly walk into a black curtain of black fabric hanging off an extremely tall being. It's face was shrouded by it's hood, from out of which rumbled a voice, "to pass on," the soft voice was grating, like t he threat of nails being scrapped down a board, "you must chose the correct image."  
  
"You mean choose the one of all these images that is real?" she asked, panicked. The strangers' head rising in a slow, precise nod did nothing to calm her. There where thousands of mirrors, each with a erroneous Sarah within. How could she hope to find the correct image?  
  
/Think, Sarah,/ she told herself /there has to be a way, there has to be some logic behind this/.  
  
She walked round the mirrors, each one showing her. It made her feel sick and dizzy. Sarah rotting, Sarah ageing, Sarah crying, Sarah despairing, Sarah getting younger, Sarah being cruel. Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. Her, her, her... Her.  
  
She turned to the person that was gliding behind her and pointed to herself. "I choose this one."  
  
The robes dropped insubstantial to the floor. As if it was a sign, the mirrors started cracking, shattering as they fell like a grownup domino chain. Dust rose in choking clouds making her eyes water and her body to jerk painfully with sneezes.  
  
Blinking she saw an enormous dirty room. This was the Labyrinth as she remembered it. Dirty and cute. She took one step, to the ladder she could see, but winced as glass slit her foot.  
  
Perhaps not so cute. It seemed that the Labyrinth had grown up.  
  
She cast about, looking desperately for anything to bind her feet with she didn't' want to use the tattered remains of her dress, ruined though it was, it was skimpy, and she didn't have anything else to run around in the Labyrinth in. Particularly as a certain Goblin King was running around here somewhere. The other factor was that the material of the dress was thin, and though it hugged Sarah's curves beautifully, it wouldn't stand up any amount of walking, let alone glass.  
  
Her searching eyes fell to rest on the robe, discarded on the floor, just out of her reach. With minimal cuts she managed to grab it and hastily dropped it as a rat ran out, squeaking in terror. With disgust she struggled to tear the course material into strips to bind her feet.  
  
When she was done, to the best of her ability she straightened, locating the ladder again, that climbed to a skylight, stories above the ground. Grimly Sarah hotfooted it amongst the broken glass to start climbing vigorously.  
  
Below her, unheeded, the glass rippled to watch her climb.  
  
***  
  
David frantically ran about his smooth walled prison. He /had/ to get out of here, if not to just save Sarah, but to save the world for the way the /Goblin King/ would order it.  
  
***  
  
Sarah screamed in fear as the floor dropped out from beneath her. Her throat carried on screaming as she fell and fell, continuously with nothing to catch her descent.  
  
***  
  
Ah, Sarah was making her way to the oubliette. Clever girl, Jareth couldn't suppress the mirth that bubbled out of him, like a merry spring founting clean, crystal, toxic water onto the land. Yes, a visit was in order here.  
  
The spy crystal went blank and with a sloshing plop sank into the remodelled floor of his Throne Room.  
  
***  
  
As she fell she looked at the black ceiling thinking, /this is gonna hurt/. With another startled cry she felt herself be caught in strong leather clad arms. Automatically she grasped the neck and shut her eyes.  
  
She knew who was laughing at her, looking down at her bloodied body. He could feel the rumble in his chest.  
  
***  
  
Okay, I have practically all the end written except for whom she chooses, so vote know or forever hold your peace! (I.e., review. ;)) And you could also tell me if yon think I'm loosing the plot and if I should continue. 


	4. Chapter 4.

He looked at her wounded body and frowned. It had never been his intent to harm her like that. But then again, it was her that had caused it to happen. The Labyrinth ordered its self around the person, giving rails that the particular person would find it difficult to undertake. She _had_ grown up.

He cleared his marred forehead as she prised her tightly clenched eyes open. She sucked in a deep breath, and with an admirable deception of calm, after her little fall. He laughed at her expression. Now it was cleared of her fear, it was pissed off. He gave her his number one smile, taking every advantage of having her cradled in his arms, "So, how are _you_ enjoying my Labyrinth Sarah?"

He could see the temptation burning in her to say a piece of cake. She resisted, _good girl, _he thought,_ you might learn yet._ The thought vanished instantly as she smiled sweetly at him. She was definitely up to something. 

"Would better without you."

She didn't even look mildly afraid. "Don't deify me." He hissed at her, enraged as only she could make him. 

"Why not?" she questioned with an impertinent look.

"You'll pay the consequences." 

She opened her mouth to speak, before she could let the sweet air filling her lungs rush out with another indignant reply he pressed his mouth to hers. She tasted so good. He roughly massaged her lips with his, tasting the leftovers of her lipstick, and the mint of her toothpaste that flavoured her. 

She didn't respond. She was limp and shocked in his arms. He pressed that advantage and sat her on his lap; him seated in mid-air and explored her mouth thoroughly, running his hands over the scraps of her dress, tingling when he stroked her bare, sweaty skin. 

She was gorgeous. She was his. 

He drew back, leaving her staring at his mouth, wide-eyed and breathless, not knowing how to respond. "Give up Sarah." He cautioned her, "we know how this will end, and it will be so much more... pleasant this way. I _can_ give you your dreams." 

She was silent for so long. Perhaps it had been a mistake threatening her. Perhaps. 

She straightened, sitting tall, "then give me David back!" 

Even she shrank at the look of carnivorous fury on his face. He pulled her body in to his, so it was pressed against his. Every curve, every concave and every muscle. Not a molecule of air could have pried its way between them. 

"We shall see, little girl, we shall see." His voice came out tight. Her eyes widened and she screamed as he dropped her again. 

***

Becky screamed, as she looked at the mangled body of Haley, her hair mattered and congealing with brown, lumpy blood. 

"Do you know what happened here?"

She spun around and screamed again. The guy behind her was something though. He looked evil. Tall, thin with black hair and eyes one could see he wore danger like a clock and enjoyed it.

He grinned, not a comforting sight, "I'm not going to hurt you," he lied. "But do you know why Haley is dead and here?" he pretended sadness, he was a great actor, good enough to lie with his eyes, when he felt the need.

Becky relaxed, sighing with relief that she was not alone, and the guy didn't seem so dangerous after all. She shook her head dumbly, not trusting herself to speak. She didn't, _hadn't_ really liked Haley, but it was no need for her to be dead. Or horribly murdered on her couch. 

She tried to take in a shuddering, calming breath, but the slaughter house stench made her gag. The beautiful man noticed this. "Here," he said gently, "let us step outside and I will explain." She followed him eagerly. 

The man sighed, she was almost asking for it. Instead of throttling her, a most pleasant thought he smiled again, "I'm Jason," he introduced himself. "Do you know of Sarah?"

The girl nodded. "Sure I know Sarah, she hangs out with us. She seems... nice." 

He shook his head, thinking _this is almost to easy_. Instead he plastered a sad look on his face again. "Sarah Williams. Would you believe me if I said she caused that poor girls violent, painful death?" 

So, maybe he was laying it on a bit thick, but this kid looked like she needed the extra promoting.

"Well... err, no. Except, she didn't seem to _really_ like us..." 

Bingo, he had her. Little bitch. "Well, she gave him to the Goblin King." She gave him a confused look. The poor darling. Jason, or Shadows numero uno as he was better known, expanded his yarn for her. 

"He only exists if he is believed in. she would have him rule the world and carry out her sick fantasies."

Becky nodded her head vigorously; "I can believe that!" she cried. 

"We have to stop them." He stated.

"But how?" she questioned.

Jason smiled inside. She hadn't even questioned the absurdity of a real, live Goblin King. He had her. He had her 'friends' aid. It was almost too easy; he was disappointed he hadn't been able to carry out his more persuasive methods. 

But then, he wouldn't be able to have his cake and eat it.

***

The shadow smiled, it was starting to take its form. It had so much belief now. _I wonder how we shall compare, you and I_, he thought silently to Jareth, the other one. 

He, the shadow was Dark. And Jareth was a twisted, filtered Light. Years of careful manipulation had seen to that. One would have thought that the fates would have protected the Lights purity. 

__

Never mind that, my revenge will still be sweet.

***

Cordette looked at Becky uncertainly. "Are you sure it's this way?"

"Oh yes!" it burned in her, the consuming need to introduce this man to her friends.

Cordette and Emma exchanged a look. The look said _she's gone crazy._ It must have been finding Haley on her new couch they decided. They still followed her down the dingy, stereotypical alley, their heels chiming out and echoing in the darkness. 

The filth of the place was beginning to grind on Emma. Impatient she turned and snapped at Becky, "so where is he then? In a rat hole?" she cruelly taunted.

To her dismay, then slow delight Becky started to cry. "He is here. He _is here!"_

Without needing to look at each other to confirm, Cordette and Emma decided she completely insane and had had enough. As one they turned to go, back to the main street where they could perhaps fit in some shopping time after this waste of a goose chase.

Instinctively they both gave little, pathetic cries of fright as they nearly walked into a thin looking black man. 

"Going somewhere?" Jason grinned evilly. Man, he _loved_ his job on days like these.

***

Sarah almost cried out for Jareth to come and stop her fall. Almost. She still had pride left after all. She prayed she hadn't made a major misjudgement as she hit the round.

It was soft, it was spongy, to her relief, and it was moving. With in seconds her bruised body was bound in stinking, slimy vines that had little eyes. She tried to get free, struggled with all her might. The adrenaline that pumped through her adding her weary limbs with their conflict against her bounds. The more she fought, the tighter they got, crushing the breath out of her cracking ribcage. In panic she tried to relax, trying to be still in the vain hope that they would relent.

Eventually they did. But every time she tried to slip out of her now slack bounds they immediately tightened. Soon her body was stiff with fatigue at the forced stillness she was maintaining. Soon her body started to shake uncontrollably as the beady little eyeballs of the plant gleamed in the stinted light.

How was she to get out of here? Before Hoggle had come, _to take me back to the beginning._ And she had not been tied up. _I bet that plants can not be bribed with _anything, _except maybe light_.

"Do you want to see the sun?" the plant drew back in fear. _Maybe not, _Sarah nearly choked on a giggle. If she had a light, if she had a match, maybe she could have frightened the plant away. 

But she had nothing. In frustration she racked her brains trying to think of anything. Pissing Jareth off, she realised a bit belatedly was never a good idea. Perhaps she should have tried to appease him. 

Too late now. She had to get _out_ of here!

***

So, what do you think? REVIEW!! Please, leave a little contribution in the little box. Tell me it you liked and if I should bother to post the next chapter. I think twenty-five reviews will be when I post it. *g*

And a great big thank you to all of you that reviewed! Really made me happy! :) 


	5. Chapter 5.

It is said that in the beginning there was the initiation. Any act you want. A word, a sexual act, a single tear, an accident.

It is said that God initiated all of this. Any God or Goddess, take your pick. There are millions, all fringing the edges of our subconscious. They fight and vie for out belief. It is what sustains them.

But where did they come from?

Some say from chaos. Some say from us, we created them to create us. The chicken or the egg? Which will come first? I like the egg one best, but from where did that egg come?

See this, a little boy, laughing as the stars spun as he ordered them, the moon glowed as he wanted it to, and the galaxies sang what he wished. His hair is blond. His eyes are mismatched as he stares the suns down, watches the supernovas that happen. 

He does not know that as he wished himself into existence that this all came into being. Why should he? Can you remember your birth? I'm sure it would be an unpleasant memory for anything.

Supernovas. Such a sight. A star about to die, a magnificent gift of nature, that was unwittingly created, shining out light, heat and noise, exploding and carrying on. 

Just one unwittingly creates a black hole. Then another, then another. All in a dot on the universes year. What is time if you are immortal and made to rule? He ignores the black shadows that are trying to gain sustenance in the vastness of everything. Why should he worry? He's young, he's free and he has just spotted a jewel.

A blue jewel. It glimmers with water, just forming out of condensing vapour. Like the shadow that pushes him to ground. To the earth, for that is what she has named herself. Now that he is there, she will not let him go, but he is not bothered. He has found a name. Jareth. And this Mother Earth is a warm comfort to him. She is warm and full of wonders. 

Icy mountain peaks that glimmer in the sun. clear blue skies, or thundering, exciting stormy ones. Seas of water, that reflects the sky with jealous, humorous devotion. Volcanoes that show the cruelty of the Earth. The beauty of it, in bursts of glowing orange and fierce red. Wood land glades, rainforests and weird and phenomenal creatures. 

Humans. They have belief. He is not alone. He is their King. They believe in him. He is content, worshiped. He can ignore his neighbours, or so he thought.

The neighbours, they can not ignore him. They feel he is heresy to their make-believe god. As soon as his people fall under his sword he knows that their pale gods are Gods, as long as they believe and worship. 

He is so much more, and in a fit of spite, is pushed by the shadowed ones into a role. A Goblin King. In all his glory, when he was feared and whispered about. Not content w9ith that, they tried to drag him further, bury him under the weight of all that loneliness he had never felt before. All that hurt that made him lost in his own room. 

He had never been so contained. The age of not believing had set in. He lost all his memory, and he just knows that the shadows where to blame, and he had to fight them off. 

He needed belief. He found belief. People would sometimes run his Labyrinth, hoping to gain back the person they had so carelessly wished away. 

It still wasn't enough. He needed to stronger than conjuring crystal balls and bullying his subjects. The Bog of Eternal Stench was a brilliant idea, if ever Jareth had ever had one. It kept them the shadows away. It prevented them from entering his realm and killing his subjects that where _forced_ to believe in him. 

He just needed someone to believe in them of their own free will. That woman was namely Sarah. 

She was just so damned stubborn.

With a sigh he observed the determined set of her mouth. She was not going to cry for his help. With a wave of his hand he sent a confused Hoggle to aid her. If only she'd just co-operate! 

Well, in time she would see. Time was nothing to him, that had watched the galaxies been created. It seemed so long ago, so distant. Yet the bad was all so fresh. 

Jareth settled back with a self-satisfied smirk to watch the show.

***

Cordette and Emma gazed in fascinated fear at the man, Jason. _Maybe we shouldn't have come here_ they thought. It was the only warning signal that they gave themselves. It didn't take much for Jason to overpower their will, so they became his. They weren't very intelligent girls after all. 

"Now we," Jason smiled, "need to find Sarah. But in a way that the Goblin King won't find us."

They looked, eager yet hollow eyed, holding on to every word he said, and they would follow every instruction to the letter. Even if it meant they died. Even if it meant everyone else died, they would get Sarah and Jason would kill her. They just had to pick the bitch up without alerting Jareth.

***

A light struck and caught in the dampness of the oubliette. "Sarah?" Hoggle questioned incredulously. 

"Yes." She started simply, in a quiet, subdued voice.

Hoggle quickly set about freeing her, burning the Devils Snare until it shrank back away from them from the heat and poisonous light. 

"Lets get our selves owt o' here." Sarah nodded vigorously and staggered out after him on stiff limbs. They staggered out of the door that Hoggle yanked open and breathed in the dry, dusty air of the round rat tunnel they found themselves in.

"Thanks." Sarah fell to her knees and hugged Hoggle. "I'm sorry Hoggle! He wouldn't let me see you without..."

"That's all right" Hoggle hugged her shyly back. "It's not your fault."

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. "What's he up to this time?"

"I don't know." Hoggle shrugged helplessly. "He's been acting crazy." Hoggle considered what he'd just said. "Different for him like. Firsts, he tells us not to even come near you, then he practically throws me in there with you!" Hoggle waved his arms in the air; "I don't even know what he's up to! Not that I ever did..." Hoggle trailed off and looked at her, worry showing on his honest face. 

What Hoggle had just said confused Sarah greatly. "How are Ludo and Didymus and Ambrosias?"

Hoggle hesitated, and the feeling of dread in Sarah's stomach grew greater and heavier.

"Well, you see he weren't happy..."

***

Cordette giggled. "I wish the Goblin King would come and take me away, right NOW!" she wasn't worried, Jason would take care of it all. She looked at the Goblin Kings disgusted face and giggled. He took her away.

***

Okay, I'm not so sure about this chapter. Tell me what you think. Though many thanks for the reviews! :) I did summersaults because ffn was back and then wow, I had 29 reviews! That's my record :). How about 35 reviews for the next chapter?

And of cause the votes are still going! Will it be J/S, S/D or...nobody. (I think that J/D would be pushing it…;)

And I updated this chapter earlier but it got swiped :( so here it is! In all it's glory *laughs* I hope you enjoyed reading. 


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